Tuning device for musical instruments.



No. 796,289. PATENTED AUGr` l, 1905.

` J. H. BRADY. Y

TUNING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIATION FILED SEPT. 9, 1902.'

.nouw n GRAHAM vuo'rorumxzwums wAsHwcTorL n c UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HENRY BRADY, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JOHN W. VANDERVOORT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TUNING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1905.

Application tiled September 9, 1902. Serial No. 122,708.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs HENRY BRADY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville, in the county of J eiferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and Improved Tuning Device for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tuning device for use on violins, guitars, mandolins, and other stringed musical instruments which is simple and durable in construction, easily applied, and arranged to mechanically tune the strings of the instrument without requiring the aid of the ear.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement as applied to a violin. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the reeds detached.

On a carrier A, in the shape of a plate or board, are secured downwardly extending arms B, forming a clamping device adapted to engage the bridge O of the musical instrument D to be tuned, and on the said carrier A are also secured depending pins E, adapted to rest on the top or sounding board of the musical instrument. On the forward or free end of the carrier A are held reeds or tongues F, formed with elongated slots F for the passage of the Shanks of screws G, screwing in the carrier A to hold the reeds or tongues in position and to allow adjustment thereof to set the reeds to be vibrated by the tones to which the strings H of the instrument are to be tuned. The reeds F are made very thin and delicate in order to render them exceedingly sensitive, so that they will readily vibrate in sympathy with the sound of the strings of the instrument to such an extent that their vibration will be easily perceptible. The device is not intended to appeal to the ear, butto the eye. The reeds F extend, preferably,

lengthwise over the strings H in close' proximity thereto, as plainly indicated in the drawings, it being understood that for violins, for instance, the reeds or tongues F are adjusted to sound the tones E, A, D, and G, which correspond to the sounds of the open strings H of the instrument when the said strings are properly tuned and sounded.

The device is used as follows: The operator when desiring to tune the strings H of the instrument D engages the arms B with opposite sides of thevbridge O so that the carrier A extends forwardly over the strings H and the reeds or tongues F extend lengthwise of the strings in close proximity thereto. Now in order to bring a string H to the proper pitch the operator sounds the string by a bow or by hand, and when the corresponding reed or tongue F over this string vibrates sympathetically with the string then the latter is in proper tune, and if the reed or tongue does not vibrate it is necessary for the operator to either stretch the string more tightly or to loosen the same, so that when next sounded the corresponding reed vibrates in sympathy with the sounded string. When this takes place, the stringis properly tuned. This operation is repeated with each of the strings of the instrument, and then the tuning device is removed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the operator brings a string to the proper pitch the corresponding reed or tongue vibrates wih it, and consequently the operator can see at a glance that the string is properly tuned without depending on hearing the sound itself. v

The device is very simple and durable in construction, can be easily applied or removed from the instrument, and the reeds or tongues F can be readily adjusted on the carrier A so as to properly indicate the intended sound.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- l. A tuning device comprising a carrier, clamping means on the carrier for engaging the bridge of the musical instrument to be tuned, and reeds held on the carrier and arranged to stand lengthwise of the strings and in close proximity thereto, asset forth.

2. A tuning device comprising a carrier, clamping means on the carrier for engaging the bridge of the musical instrument, a support on the carrier for engaging the sounding-board of the musical instrument, and reeds held on the carrier and extending lengthwise of the strings of the instrument and in close proximity to the strings, as set forth.

3. A tuning device comprising a carrier, clamping means on the carrier `for engaging the bridge of the musical instrument, a support on the carrier, t'or engaging the sounding-board of the musical instrument` reeds held on the carrier and extending lengthwise of the strings of the instrument and in close proximity to the strings, and means for adjustably securing the reeds in position on the carrier, as set forth.

4. A tuning device for stringed instruments, Comprising a carrier provided with downwardly-projecting members for removably supporting the carrier in zupproximatelv horizontal position above the strings to be tuned, and reeds secured to and projecting from said carrier, one for each string to he tuned, said reeds being made so thin and delicate that they will be visibly and synumthctieally vibrated by the sound of their respective strings.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my nal ne to this specilieation in the presence oli' two suhscribing witnesses.

JAMES .HENRY BRADY.

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR A. VEI'IZRL, HARRY KnLLnY. 

